


4 a.m. Calf Rubs

by firstdegreefangirl



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, I'm totally just projecting here, Innuendo, M/M, Massage, Muscles, Nicknames, SOMEONE HAD A CALF CRAMP YESTERDAY, Sleepy Boys, Sleepy Cuddles, but also now Carlos, half asleep!TK, it's been so long since i posted anything here, me. it was me, what are tags again?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:14:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22520851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firstdegreefangirl/pseuds/firstdegreefangirl
Summary: Carlos tried his hardest not to wake TK up, really he did. But he won't deny that the results pay off.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star)/TK Strand
Comments: 17
Kudos: 384





	4 a.m. Calf Rubs

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh! I did it! Idea to start to finish in under 24 hours, and it's got a whole little plot and everything! It's been a MINUTE, but I'm so in love with Lonestar and Tarlos, so hopefully I'll be around a bit more now.

Carlos wakes up  suddenly as his calf muscle contracts, jackknifing to sit upright and yanking his arm away from TK’s torso to clutch woefully at the  seizing muscle. He groans as he prods at the clearly visible outline of his cramp , trying to  relieve the tension without  disturbing his … bedmate?

_ (Here’s the thing: after the ill-fated dinner-that-wasn't, Carlos has steered away from trying to attach labels to his relationship with TK. Whatever they are, they are, and whatever they aren’t, they aren’t. Right now, that means they’re hooking up t _ _ hree or four times a week, and TK sleeps over whenever he doesn’t have an early shift the next day. Carlos isn’t sure what he tells his dad about his whereabouts, doesn’t feel like it’s his place _ _ to ask, given the way TK gets all jittery whenever Carlos mentions the fire captain.) _

He winces again, having drawn himself into his own head long enough that the muscle has cramped up again. This time, his groan is loud enough that TK rolls over halfway – enough that he’s  vaguely awake and responding to the noise, but not exactly coherent. 

“’Los?” Carlos swallows a smile at TK’s bedhead and sleepy grin, half hidden by the pillow his face is still smushed into. “ Wassup ? You  leavi n ’? ‘S your apartment. Call? I  c’n go.” He shifts like he’s maybe trying to gather his limbs to stand up , but Carlos stop s him . 

“Shh, easy, Tiger.” He hisses as his thumb digs into a particularly sensitive knot in the muscle. “No call, I’m not leaving. Just— _shit --_ just a Charley horse.”

“ Mmm ,” TK settles back down. “ Y’need water. An’ massage.”

“Yeah? You  offering that massage?” Carlos smirks, even if he’s pretty sure TK can’t see it. 

“ Mhmm .” He nods into the pillow. “Jus’  gimme minute.” TK rolls over and drops his feet against the floor. “Water first.” 

He stumbles out of the room and Carlos can’t help but smile as he hears TK stumbling into walls and clattering through his cabinets.  He flexes his toes toward his knee and grimaces at the sudden stabbing pain, but sighs in relief as he feels some of the tension  release. 

TK comes back into the room, looking considerably more awake and holding two wine glasses full of water.

“I, um, I wasn’t sure which cabinet the glasses are in. But I found these, and you needed water, and I needed to be awake , and they’re both just water. I mean, of course they’re just water, it’s 3:45 a.m., but like, mine’s not … I don’t have a problem. I mean, I do. You-you know that. But I’m working on it, and wine  _ glasses _ aren’t the problem, just the wine-the wine in them is-”

“ Teek . It’s fine. Wine glasses full of water are still just glasses of water. Long as you’re good, I’m good.” He takes the glass TK  hands him and squeezes his wrist with his free hand. “I got some of the tension out, but  _ Jesus _ .  I’ve been  _ shot _ before, and this is up there for most painful thing I’ve experienced.”

“Alright, well, I’m not awake enough to process through that right now, but you were shot , and we’ll  circle back to this one later.” TK  takes a drink of his water, and his eyes widen with a realization. “Wait, cheers!” He holds his glass out, waiting for Carlos to clink his own against it before sipping again. Then he  pushes his own glass into Carlos’s open hand and nudges it away from his calf. “You can tell me to stop if it hurts.”

Without any further preamble, he digs his thumbs right into the center of the muscle, as if he could tell wher e the pain was the worst. Carlos nearly drops  the glasses as he curses and jumps from the sudden attack on his Charley horse.  TK recoils and holds his hands up in surrender.

“Too much?” He looks hesitant, which is mildly amusing to Carlos – that he’s afraid this might be too much after all the …  _ more _ … they’d done earlier in the night.

“No, no, it feels good. Just … wasn’t expecting it. Hang on,” Carlos drains his water and sits both glasses on the bedside table. “OK, you’re good.” 

He conceals the wince better this time, more prepared for TK’s nimble fingers to knead at his calf. After a few moments, the bleeds out of his muscle and he  leans back  agains t the headboard.

“Mmm, guess we can add this to the list of things you can do with your hands.”

“Yeah? You’ve only seen the half of it.” Now it’s TK’s turn to smirk,  and he trails one hand from Carlos’s calf to wander up his thigh.

“Dude. It’s 4  a.m.. Thanks for doing this \-- seriously, I’d have been up all night if you didn’t work your magic – but … I’ll thank you in the morning? And maybe again after work tomorrow?” He reaches down to twist TK’s fingers between his own and smiles.

“Whatever you say, Cowboy. We’ll just make sure you drink more water after, so we don’t have to do this again.” TK pats his calf and shifts back up the bed, tucking himself  against Carlos and settling the blankets over them both. Carlos squeezes his hand and reaches over to turn the lamp off. He can feel TK’s lips move against his chest as he  whispers huskily into the dark of the room. 

“Between you and me, if we’re up at 4 a.m., there’s something I’d much rather be rubbing than your calf.”

**Author's Note:**

> There it is! *flexes writing muscle* Let me know what you think! To quote myself at work, "I'd love for you to leave a review. It's how I grow and get better, and more importantly it's how I stay in good with the bosses." Except in this case the boss is just me.  
> xoxo


End file.
